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With 36 days to go until the pigskin (officially) flies through
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opponents here on TTUsports.com.

Countdown to camp: 11 daysCountdown to season opener: 36 daysCountdown to home opener: 41 days

One game that the Golden Eagles have been pointing toward in
2011 is the visit on Sapt. 24 by the defending Ohio Valley
Conference champions from Southeast Missouri. The Redhawks edged
Tech, 23-21, last year in Cape Girardeau and went on to capture the
league crown. Now the Golden Eagles are looking for the home
field/home crowd advantage to turn the tables on coach Tony
Samuel's team.

Southeast Missouri is still raving about its storybook season a
year ago and hopes the magic continues in 2011. For the first time
in school history, the Redhawks are defending Ohio Valley
Conference Champions. In 2010, Southeast went 9-3 overall and 7-1
in league play en route to its first conference title and NCAA
Playoff appearance in the 104-year history of its program.

Samuel earned 2010 Eddie Robinson, OVC Roy Kidd and American
Football Coaches Association Region 3 Coach of the Year honors, and
won the Fritz Pollard Award after leading Southeast to one of the
greatest turnarounds in FCS history.

This season, the Redhawks will feature four new coaches and eight
returning starters.

At quarterback, preseason All-OVC selection Matt Scheible returns
for his final year at Southeast. Scheible became the first Redhawk
quarterback to earn first-team All-Conference honors following a
monster 2010 campaign. Scheible has made 24-consecutive starts
under center and currently ranks among Southeast’s
single-season and career leaders in several categories. In 2010
alone, the dual-threat Scheible completed 109-of-182 passes for
1,246 yards and eight touchdowns. He also finished second on the
team in rushing with 887 yards and seven touchdowns on 169 carries.
Scheible ranked among the top-10 OVC leaders in passing average
(6th, 103.8 ypg), pass efficiency (5th, 128.6 rating) and total
offense (5th, 177.5 ypg). In addition, he threw only three
interceptions, second-fewest in the league.

Southeast will have some big shoes to fill at tailback following
the loss of Henry Harris, a consensus All-American and the
OVC’s Offensive Player of the Year. Renard Celestin and
Lennies McFerren shared carries at the tailback spot in the spring.
Celestin ran the ball just four
times for 15 yards in 2010, while McFerren redshirted as a
true
freshman.

The offensive line will have some new faces after losing three
first-team all-OVC selections. Southeast had a banner year up front
in 2010, paving the way for the nation’s No. 3 rushing
offense.

The Southeast Missouri defense enters the 2011 season under the
direction of first-year defensive coordinator Brian Mohnsen, who
inherits a defense which allowed just 21.5 points per game last
season, fewest in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Redhawks also led
the league in interceptions (20) and turnover margin (+13), and
ranked fifth nationally in turnover margin and 12th in turnovers
gained (29).

Southeast’s defensive line combined for four takeways and 24
tackles for loss in 2010. The Redhawks lost their first-team
All-OVC nose tackle J.J. Sanchez, but Frankie Davis, Quinn Perry
and Josyah O’Keefe-Lopez are expected to fill the void.
A linebacker has led the team in tackles every year since 2006, and
Southeast looks to continue that trend this season. Blake Peiffer
and Philip Klaproth are the most experienced of the group. Both
played in all 12 games and combined for nine starts in 2010.
Peiffer, who started six games, was among the Redhawks top
tacklers, ranking fifth with 59 stops.

Southeast led the OVC with 20 interceptions in 2010 and 11 of
those picks were in the secondary. The safeties are sparked by the
return of preseason all-OVC selection Tylor Brock. Brock, who
started 12 games at free safety, led the conference and tied for
16th in the nation with six a Southeast single-game record in
interceptions and returned two of his picks for touchdowns. Brock
also had 56 tackles and earned both second-team All-America and
all-OVC accolades.

On special teams, the Redhawks return both their starting kicker
and punter in 2011. Drew Geldbach is back to handle the
placekicking duties. Geldbach ranked second among Southeast’s
single-season leaders in PATs after making 33-of-38 last season. He
also made 12-of-17 field goals, including a career-long 53-yard
kick.
Joe Vucic returns at punter.